As some countries like the United States continue to restrict innovative technologies like Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, other Latin American countries, such as El Salvador, are working to boost the growth of their tech industries. On May 4th, Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador, announced the enactment of a law that eliminates taxes on innovative technologies,…
The My First Bitcoin education program reaches 1 BTC in donations, with Bitcoin Beach matching contributions, fueling expansion. There’s a beacon of light in the bear market tunnel. The Salvadoran nonprofit program Mi Primer Bitcoin, or My First Bitcoin, has raised over 1 Bitcoin (BTC) in donations — not from venture capitalists and investors but…
El Salvador’s position as the fourth-largest crypto ATM hub was short-lived as Australia stepped up its game over the following months.
El Salvador, the first country to legalize Bitcoin (BTC), has been pushed down yet another spot in total crypto ATM installations as Australia records 216 ATMs stepping into the year 2023.
As part of El Salvador’s drive to establish Bitcoin as a legal tender, President Nayib Bukele had decided to install over 200 crypto ATMs across the country. While this move made El Salvador the third largest crypto ATM hub at the time after the United States and Canada in September 2021, Spain and Australia overtook the Central American country’s ATM count in 2022.
On October 2022, Cointelegraph reported that Spain became the third-largest crypto ATM hub after installing 215 crypto ATMs. However, Spain continued its installation drive and is home to 226 crypto ATMs at the time of writing. El Salvador’s position as the fourth-largest crypto ATM hub was short-lived as Australia stepped up its game over the following months.
In the last three months of 2022, Australia deployed 99 crypto ATMs, confirms data from CoinATMRadar. As of Jan. 1, 2023, Australia recorded 219 active crypto ATMs, overshadowing El Salvador by 7 ATMs at the time of writing.
Australia represents 0.6% of global crypto ATM installations and, at this rate, is well-positioned to take over Asia’s crypto ATM numbers, which stand at 312 ATMs. The total number of crypto ATMs worldwide is 38,602, out of which 6,071 ATMs were installed in 2022 alone.
Nigeria’s drive to impose the adoption of an in-house central bank digital currency (CBDC) — eNaira — forced the government to limit ATM cash withdrawals to $225 (100,000 nairas) a week.
“Customers should be encouraged to use alternative channels (Internet banking, mobile banking apps, USSD, cards/POS, eNaira, etc.) to conduct their banking transactions,” noted Haruna Mustafa, the director of banking supervision, while announcing the drive.
The Development Bank of El Salvador, BANDESAL, has refused to disclose the government’s Bitcoin purchase and sale records for the second time, according to an October 31 tweet by the country’s Anti-Corruption Legal Advisory Center (ALAC).